Harvester.



G. G. TOUGH.

HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE-118.1912.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Wwuddod G; U. TOUGH.

HARVESTER.

I APPLICATION FILED JUNB lfl 1%)12.

1,1 27,8Q9, Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

8 SHEETS-"SHEET ivrrni). s'rA s arana omen.

GEORGE o; TOUGH, or MUNGER, MICHIGAN.

HARVESTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

" Patented-Feb. 9, 1915.

Application filed June 18, 1912. Serial No. 704,316.

' siding at Munger, in the county of Bay and htate of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Harvesters, of which thefollowing 15 a specification,

, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to harvesters and more particularly to a machinedesigned for harvesting vegetables such as beets or the like.

he invention has among the objects thereof to provide a cutter fortopping boots or other vegetables; to provide means for preventing thecut tops from clogging the cutter knives; to provide a structure bywhich the cutter will be automatically, vertically adjusted, so as touniformly top the vegetables; to :n'ovide means for adjusting the cutterrelative to the ground so that the height at which the tops are cut, maybe regulated, and further to combine with the topper a digger or plowwhereby the vegetables may be topped and turned out of the ground by thesame machine.

Other objects of the invention will more fully hereinafter appear.

The invention resides in the peculiar construction, arrangement andcombination of parts, as more fully hereinafter described andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

I will show and describe my invention as embodied in a beet harvester,but the invention may be readily applied to harvesters for othervegetables.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a beet harvesterembodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, partly. insection, and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the topper withcertain parts removed.

A designates the main frame of the machine, B the traction wheelstherefor and- C the digger or plow secured to the mainframe and havingsuitable supportin wheels D. The frame A may be of any iuitableconstruction but preferably comprises spaced side members E and crossconnections F, the side members having suitable bearings (not shown) forthe axle G of the traction wheels B;

The topping mechanism is carried by an auxiliary or sub-frame, hereinshown as formed of side bars H having their forward ends pivoted uponthe axle G and carryin at their opposite ends a vertically arrangedsection composed of spaced uprights I and cross bars .1, K and L, thespaced uprights having upwardly projecting ends arranged between theside members E and serving to guide the'sub-frame in its verticalmovement. Secured tothe outer side edges of the uprights are .supportsor brackets M.which extend laterally outward and then terminate inrearward extensions N.

O is a cutter guard plate fixedly secured to the extensions N, and 1 isa knife or cutter of a type similar to a knife in a mowing machine,positioned upon the guard plate for travel thereover. Preferably thecentral tooth of the uard plate is cut away since I have found y sodoing, better results are obtained. The knife is carried by alongitudinally reciprocating frame Qherein shown as composed of L-shapedmembers It connected together by one or more rods S arranged forlongitudinal travel in bearings T upon the rear faces of the uprights I.Shoes U are secured to the extensions N for engaging the ground andsupporting the rear end of the sub-frame and these shoes are madeadjustable so that the distance of the knife from the ground may bevaried, thereby permitting the height at which the beet tops are cut tobe regulated. Thus the shoes Uare each pivoted at the forward end, as atV, to the under face of the extension N and has its rear end extend-,ing upward and slotted to adjustably engage a set screw or bolt W uponthe extension.

Quite frequently the body portions of some of the,beets project aconsiderable distance above the ground and there would therefore be atendency to cut into the beet body if the shoes U were adjusted ,to.position the knife in close proximity to the ground. To avoid this aguard shoe. X iS-POSltiOIlEd in advance of the cutter. This shoe isrigidly secured to the cross bars K and L by means of arms Y bolted tothe cross bars, but the arms Y are provided with slotted portions Z forengaging the bolts A so as to permit the guard shoe to be properlyadjusted vertically. By this arrangement the shoe X will engage anybeets which project out of the ground beyond a certain distance and ridethereover, causing the raising of the cutter suflicientlv to insure thetopping of the beet at the desired height.

The frame Q may be reciproeated from trated a novel-and desirable drivetrain the axle G by any suitable drive mechanism, but in the drawings Ihave illuswhereby the knife may bereciprocated' at the desired speed. Asshown B 1s a calm ter-shaft carried by the side bars- H and upon whichis journaled 'a'pinion-C' and a gear D fixed to rotate together.

E is a large driving cured to the axle G, and a chain conneeting thegear E'. and pin on C;

G is a second shaft journaled in bearings in the members H and havingone end thereof projecting beyond one of said side bars. Extending lon'tudinally of the subframeand journale the side barsof the sub-frame, isa counter shaft J which has a crank K connected by means of a pitman Lto one of themembers R of the frame Q. M N" are bevel gears respectivelyfixed to the projecting end of the shaft G and to the member J. As willhe noticed, the several gears and pinions are so proportioned that theshaft J is driven from the axle G by a plurality of step up drivetrains. This is exceedingly desirable since the rotation of the axleG iscomparatively slow. Positioned over the cutter slightly in rear thereofisa rotary brush which serves to throwthe beet tops after they aresevered to one side of the cutter so as to avoid clogging of the latter.This brush is preferably formed of a plurality of sections 0 of stiffwire, splints or the like that are carried by a head P secured to ashaft R which is journaled in the cross bar J.v The/shaft R is drivenfrom the member G through the medium of bevel gears S T. In order thatthe topping mechanism will be driven only in theforward movement of themachine, the wheels.

B are connected to the axle G by means of a clutch U composed of.complementary ratchet teeth-upon the wheel hub and a member V fixed tothe axle, the teeth being so arranged as to be automaticallydisengaged-uponbackwork rotation of the wheels B. Thelidiggerfor plow isalso secured to the. mainv frame so as to be adjustable. Thus the wheelsD are carried by standards a which are provided at their u per ends withslots 6 adjustably engaging'bolts c on the side members of the mainframe. This permits the raising or lowering of the rear end of the mainframe. Theplows or diggers comprise a pair of spaced members (2 havingbifurcated portions e and each of the bifurcations has a plurality ofopenings f for engaging bolts 9 on the main frame, allowing the diggerstobe raised or lowered independently of the wheels D, or the angle ofeither to be varied independent of the other. Preferably bra'pes h areprovided for the standards a.

in bearings H, m members I projecting laterally from one ofciprocatin"therefore: are top ed by the cutter, the to s thrown to, one sad I ebythe brush and fina y the beets turned"out' of the ground by the diggeror plo If the beet projects too great'a distance abovegtheground, itawill be engaged by theguardflshoe andfthe cutter raised a sufiicientdistance to insure a pro er cutting of the top. a a l hat I claim as myinvention is 2-- o 1 In a harvester, the combination with a main frame,the traction'wheels and the axle of said wheels, of a sub-frame,comprising spaced side bars pivotally engaging said axle, and avertically extending sectionc'arrie'd by said side bars, a cutter guardcarried by said vertical section, a reciprocating frame also carried bysaid section, acutter mounted upon said reciproc ting frame andpositioned in operative re ation to said guard, and a drive connectionbetween said 2. In a harvester, the combination with a 4 .main' frame,the traction wheels and the axle of sa1d wheels, of a sub-frame, com--prising spaced side bars pivotally engaging said axle, and a verticallyextending section carried by said side bars, a cutter guard carried by'said vertical section, a reciproeating frame also carried by saidsection, a

cutter mounted upon said reciprocating.

frame and positioned in operative relation to said guard, a shaftsecured to the side bars, a pinion on said shaft, a comparatively largegear on said axle, a. connection be- .tween said pinion and said gear, asecond said last-mentioned gear, a counter shaft,

carried by said sub-frame having a crank, a pitman connecting saidcrankwith said reframe, and a beveled gear between sai counter shaft andsaid shaft 'projection.-

- 3. In a harvester, the combination witha main frame and tractionwheels, of a subframe, comprising fa;longitudinally extending sectionpivoted'a't one end to move relative to the main frame, and a verticallyextending section carried by the other end of 'said longitudinallyextending section, braek ets upon said vertical section,a cutter guardcarried by said brackets, ground engaging shoes upon said brackets, anda reciprocating frame also mounted upon said vertical tive to the frame,a cutter secured to said reciprocating frame and positioned in operativerelation to said guard, and means for actuating said reciprocatingframe.

4. In a harvester, the combination with a main frame and tractionwheels, of a sub frame, comprising a longitudinally extending sectionpivoted at one end to moverelamain frame, and a vertically extendingsection carried by the other end of said longitudinally extendingsection, brackets upon said vertical section, a cutter guard carried bysaid brackets, ground engaging shoes upon said brackets, and areciprocating frame also mounted upon said vertical frame, a cuttersecuredto said reciprocating frame and positione I in operative relationto said guard, a rotary brush journaled in said verticalframe andpositioned over and slightly in rear said cutter, and means foractuating saicrieciprocating frame and fordriving said rotary brush.

In a harvester, the combination ajvith a main frame, the traction wheelsand the axle of said wheels, of a sub frame comprising spaced side barspivotally engaging said axle, and a vertically extending section carriedby the said side bars and having uprights passing between the sides ofthe main frame to guide the said vertically extending section in itsupward movement, a cutter guard carried by the said vertical section, areciprocating cutter carried by said Vertical section, means forreciprocating said cutter, and a sweeper carried by said vertical section and adapted to keep the cutter bar free from tops. i

6. In a harvester, the combination with a main frame, the traction.Wheels and axle of said Wheels, of a sub-frame comprising spaced sidebars engaging said axle, and a vertically extending section carried bysaid side bars, a cutter guard carried by said vertical section, cuttingmechanism carried bv I a vertically in operative relation to said guard,and

means for operating said cutting mechanism.

7. In a harvester, the combination with a main frame, the tractionWheels and axle of said wheels, of a sub-frame comprising longitudinalbars for engaging the said axle, extending section carried by said bars,a reciprocating cutting mechanism carried by said vertical section,'andmeans for reciprocating said cutting mechanism.

8. In a harvester, the combination with the main frame, the tractionWheels and the axle of said wheels, of .a sub-frame comprising spacedside bars pivotally engaging said axle, and a vertically extendingsection carried by said side bars, cutting mechanism carried by the saidvertical section, operating means for the said cutting mechanism, and asweeper positioned over the cutting mechanism and adapted to be revolvedso as to keep the cutting mechanism free from tops.

9. In a harvester, the combination with a main frame, the tractionWheels and the axle of said wheels, of a sub-frame comprising pivotallyspaced side bars, and a verticallv extending section carried by the saidside bars and having uprights passing between the sides of the mainframe, a cutter guard carried by said vertical section, a cutting framealso carried by said section, a cutter mounted on said frame, andpositioned in operative relation to said guard, and means for operatingsaid cutter. is

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE c. TOUGH. Witnesses: f

WILLIAM H. SMALL,

FRA N11 RICHARDSON.

